60th Independence Tennis: Youth stars shine in exciting start to U-12 category

The Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) Independence Anniversary Open has officially got underway at the National Park Courts,  serving off a week of high-intensity junior and senior tennis as part of the country’s 60th Jubilee celebrations.

Organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the tournament’s opening day was dominated by the under-12 divisions, showcasing the bright future of Guyanese tennis.

The tournament got off to a flying start with a clinical performance from Z Hinkerson, who set the standard in the boys’ category. Hinkerson secured a comfortable 6-2 victory over H Chan to get the ball rolling, before Y Mangru mirrored that momentum by delivering a solid performance to defeat R Narayan 6-3.

The under-12 girls’ division provided the most dramatic action of the morning, highlighted by a spectacular baseline battle between Breyanna Younge and Mia Bullen. Both athletes produced an impressive array of shot-making, but it was Younge who showed nerves of steel to edge out a thrilling 7-5 victory.

Elsewhere in the girls’ draw, L Singh opened her campaign with a routine 6-2 win over K Doris, while I Grannum was utterly relentless, dishing out a 6-0 shutout against M Shivnauth. Denesia Boston also signalled her title intentions, looking sharp in a comprehensive 6-1 victory against Brielle Paul.

Speaking on the opening day, GTA President Cristy Campbell expressed her gratitude to the National Sports Commission (NSC), the MCYS, and the Government of Guyana for their vital sponsorship and ongoing partnership.

Campbell noted that the tournament is a key part of the 60th Jubilee celebrations and praised the government’s continued support for the growth of the tennis fraternity.

The action is set to intensify over the coming week with the inclusion of novice, open, over-35, and over-45 divisions.

All matches will take place at the National Park Courts, running from 15:30 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 09:30 to 18:00 on weekends, before the tournament concludes on May 24th.  (Modified GTA Release)